I am Dr Monkey a 10 year old Border Terrier who is Dorwest Herbs very own Canine Firework Consultant! I offer a genuine ‘tea and sympathy’ approach that comes from having battled my own firework phobia ‘demons’. There really is no need for any of you pets to suffer panic, fear and anguish during the firework season – you can be helped and I'm here to tell you how.”

Monday, 31 October 2011

I was right, they are preparing us for something. I know this because there are all sorts of strange goings on still. Firstly I found these big orange heads sitting on walls and doorsteps around here - they all had great big toothy grins and look pretty scary. But that's not all, this evening all these heads, which are without bodies as well, started to shine and light up and they look pretty frightening. We went to the local pub and that was even worse, there were spiders, skeletons, witches, ghosts and other horrid frightening things hanging up all over the place. So all I can think is that these are put there to see if us dogs and cats will be scared or not - well as I'm feeling pretty chilled I wasn't really scared at all, just a bit confused really, just what is going on?

Then, believe it or not, they decided that I should be really put to the test and they put this ENORMOUS big black spider on my head to see what I would do. Of course I couldn't see it, but it was breathing down my neck and I didn't like that much. Still I must have passed whatever test it was as they gave me a treat afterwards........every cloud has a silver lining!

Sunday, 30 October 2011

Something odd is going on here and I can't work out exactly what it is.
Everyone got up late and I didn't get my breakfast for ages and ages, it felt like it was nearly lunchtime when they gave it to me. Then this evening I got my walk later than usual, it was nearly dark for goodness sake. None of us got our dinner at the proper time and we had to gang up and pester them to give it to us. I can tell you that I'm pretty good at knowing when it's dinner time, and an hour late it not what I expect.

I suppose we'll all be going to bed late as well, very odd I just can't work it out. I think that perhaps they're getting us into training for something or other but I can't think what. I wonder if it's anything to do with 5th November? I just don't know but I hope it's better timekeeping in our house tomorrow.

Just as well I've been having my Scullcap & Valerian Tablets every day now for the past week, at least I'm not getting stressed about it, but you have to admit it is strange...........

Saturday, 29 October 2011

Just a week to go, although my friends tell me that in some places the bangers have already started and Diwali celebrations are already underway, so I hope that you dogs and cats are all safe indoors and feeling chilled.

If you haven't already done it, now is the time to sort out the music that you want playing when the fireworks start - I know some people like soothing classical music and others the old crooners, but myself I'm a fan of Snoop Dog. I like all that beats and rhythms and I find it drowns out anything else that's going on - why don't you see what music suits you and get it ready for when the fireworks, bangs and whizzes start?

If you are using a de-sensitising CD then you should have started this a few weeks ago and I'm told that they can be very helpful as they get you used to the noises, but it does take time, so it's not much use to start now as there isn't enough time for you to get acclimatised to the noises.

I met a very young pup when I was out for my walk today. It was a yellow labrador and is going to be trained to be a Guide Dog. It is living with it's puppy walker at the moment who's doing its basic training before it goes on to the proper guide dog training when it's older. It was a lovely little thing and I'm sure that it won't be frightened of fireworks as these dogs are so amazing that they are trained from a very early age not to be put off or frightened of anything. I do hope it does well.

One final thing - for those of you who have asked about the bit of a bladder problem I had a few weeks ago, well I'm pleased to reassure you that I'm fine again now, here I am having a very good cock while on my walk. (I promise I won't ever mention this again!)

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Everyone's been madly busy here this week, lots of phone calls, faxes and suchlike. Rushing around with sacks full of parcels, I thought Santa had brought my presents early but apparently they are lots and lots of parcels going to customers, vets, pet shops and the like who all need to get their products quickly. It's only a week to go now before Bonfire Night so not much time at all to get organised.

I found out about a really good podcast today - it's by Karen Wild a top behaviourist who knows all about us dogs. She's got a brilliant podcast that you can watch with lots of advice to help dogs and their owners overcome their fear of fireworks, so have a look at http://intellidogs.com/blog/dogs-and-firework-fear/ or go to the Dorwest Facebook page where there is a direct link. I thoroughly recommend this.

I went to visit my friend Bertie yesterday evening and very nice it was too - his humans have an AGA in their kitchen and it was lovely and warm. I wanted to check that Bertie is well prepared for firework night and he told me that he's already got his stuff sorted out - nice new toy, a warm snuggly bed that they've put into their sitting room for him, and he's already having his Scullcap & Valerian Tablets. So that's a comfort as I know how he suffers at this time of the year and glad that they've got all prepared. Before I left both Bertie and I had a special treat for being such good boys - well we're both quite elderly now and naturally are always good (especially when a treat depends on it!).

Last night there was thunder and lightning and I really don't like that much in the normal run of things, but thank goodness I've been having my Scullcap & Valerian Tablets for a week or so now, as I was nice and relaxed and didn't notice it was happening until someone mentioned it, but even then I couldn't really be bothered to lift my head from the bed to check it out. DORWEST SAY RELAX has definitely worked on me, I'm so relaxed.

Monday, 24 October 2011

Well the rain came eventually but not until after I'd had my walk this morning, but I got myself into all sorts of bother. The thing is you see that in one of the fields I walk across there is a cattle water trough in the hedge between two fields, and everyday I have a drink from it as I pass by. What's the problem I hear you ask, well this morning there were two bullocks drinking from the other side of the trough in the other field. Well I wasn't having that, it's my personal drinker and I've never seen anyone drinking from it before, so I hopped through the hedge and barked at them and then chased them away from the trough. Seemed a sensible thing to do I thought, but my did I get into trouble. My humans just won't allow me to bark and chase stock in the fields and I broke the rules. I got severely told off, so I won't be doing that again, on the other hand I don't think the bullocks will either........ Result !

Then this afternoon one of the toddler humans told me that I smelt, and so what did they do, bathe me that's what! I don't know, it hasn't rained for weeks and the first spot of it and they decide to dump me in the bath - they could have just let me run around in the rain, that would have been much more fun. Still even I will admit that having been shampooed with the Pennyroyal Shampoo I do smell particularly attractive....... won't last long though you can be sure I'll find something more doggy smelling when I go on my walk tomorrow.

Sunday, 23 October 2011

Well, no rain but it's very windy, quite bracing as I'm told they say!
We went out picking the last of the blackberries, sloes and some rose hips today which they make into nice things to eat, although I don't much go for jams and jellies. I wonder if they'll give me a snifter of the sloe gin when it's made though? I doubt it somehow. Anyway it was a very leisurely walk as we had to keep stopping and we did a lot of walking around fields and hedges instead of running across them. Still I don't mind too much as we were out for hours and hours.

It must be autumn properly now as not only are there all these fruits in the hedges but shooting has started. I couldn't tell exactly what they were shooting and don't really care as long as it isn't me! I'm told it's some sort of pigeons made of clay - very odd if you ask me I've never seen a clay pigeon, seen lots of real ones but can never catch them myself - perhaps that's why they use guns? Anyway I didn't worry about all the bangs that were going on even though they were only in the next field to where we were. Those Scullcap & Valerian Tablets must already be working on me as it didn't bother me at all.

Saturday, 22 October 2011

If the weather people are right and it does get really cold and wet everywhere in the next few days I shall be glad they've already got my cosy den set up, as I can get in to it and snuggle down until the weather gets better. I don't much like the rain, although funnily enough when I'm out for a walk in it I don't even notice it, but just going out for a quick cock of the leg on a rainy night is another thing altogether!

One of my whippet friends, Hector, has gone off on his holidays. He went on a aeroplane, yes actually up in the sky, must have been amazing. It seems a bit quieter here without him but he'll be back before long and I bet he'll have lots of stories to tell........ Of course he had his Scullcap & Valerian Tablets before he went on the plane, just so he would be super relaxed, as it's a new experience for him. Apparently he loved it and is having a great time in Finland where he's living with some other whippets and two cats. He's such a cool dude I reckon he won't take any notice of the cats and he's going to have a great time. See you soon Hector have a nice holiday. Woof woof.

Friday, 21 October 2011

A couple of weeks ago I posted a picture of Roxy, who won one of my Firework Survival Kits, and got myself into trouble....... Roxy sent me a message to say she is a girl and not a boy (which is what I had thought), so I just want to apologise to her for being so silly. It's no excuse I know, but I'm more used to sniffing dogs to find out all about them rather than looking at photos, but now I can see she has a lovely gentle face so obviously she is a girl, and a lovely one too. Still it gives me a chance to show you all her picture again sitting amongst all the great things I sent her in my Dr Monkey Firework Survival Kit.
I hope she's already started having her Scullcap & Valerian Tablets, as I know she's very scared of fireworks. Here's looking at you Roxy, what a beaut.......

There are more of my kits that you can win - I'll be doing more on-line competitions and you will also find more opportunities to win one in Your Dog and Dogs Today magazines and in Dog World and Our Dogs in the next few weeks. Outside our office there's a very nice metal drain cover, doesn't sound too exciting I know, but in this weather it gets lovely and hot in the sun and so today I'm spending my day stretched out on it enjoying myself. It's just Monkey sized so I'm sure they put it there for my benefit - nice humans to think of me !

Today it has been decided that it's the right time for me to start having my daily dose of Scullcap & Valerian Tablets. It's just 2 weeks to the 5th November and my people know that because I am so frightened of the noises, they need to start giving them to me now. I'm rather a large Border Terrier, about 15kgs, so I am having 3 tablets twice a day from now onwards and they'll probably also give me some Valerian Compound over the firework weekend. As they are sugar coated tablets I don't mind at all, in fact they put them in with my food and I don't even notice I'm having them - hey ho life's a breeze isn't it?

Thursday, 20 October 2011

It's really important that cats and dogs can be identified if the worse happens and he or she runs off in fright during the firework period. I've been microchipped so I'm pretty satisfied that if anything awful happened and I got lost they'd be able to scan me and let my people know.

It did happen to me once, when I was a bit younger - I chased a wild boar across some fields and got so carried away that I found myself on the main trunk road right in the middle of the traffic! Gosh I was frightened, but some kind person found me and took me to a kennel where they had a microchip scanner and before you could say "dogs dinner" my owners came and got me. So I'm now a big fan of microchipping.

There's still time for your owners to get you chipped, but if not then tell them they must make sure that you have a disc on your collar so that people know where you live, or who to contact if the worse happens.

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

A lovely sunny day in Dorset and I've just had a lovely walk. See me here looking out from my perch on one of my favourite stiles!

It's time now for you to make sure that your family are getting a suitable cosy, warm and secure den ready for you so that when the fireworks start you have somewhere nice and safe to go. It makes such a difference if us dogs and cats feel ther is somewhere we can go when the noises start. It's also time for a new toy for you to have in the den - there's nothing like distraction, so being prepared with this now is the thing to do.

I saw Michaela Strachan on Autumnwatch on the TV the other day - was I proud or what? She is supporting our DORWEST SAY RELAX firework campaign this year with her dog Toto - wow isn't it great?

Monday, 17 October 2011

Have you seen this? My new friend Toto with his special human Michaela Strachan. What a picture it is and doesn't it just make you feel happy?

Apparently Toto is terrified of fireworks and so Michaela has needed something to help the fear and shaking that is so traumatic for not only us dogs but also their human friends. She is delighted that Scullcap & Valerian Tablets and Valerian Compound are available to help and sent us this lovely photo of her and Toto. I'm so pleased to have a new friend and although I know about Michaela from when she was on The Really Wild Show and now on Autumnwatch, I didn't realise quite what a stunner she is - I'm definitely in love. I must write to her and see if I can visit her and Toto, I'd love to run on that beach, it looks great! I'm sure we'll be the best of friends and I'm so pleased that we are able to help him overcome his fear.

Sunday, 16 October 2011

Had quite a busy weekend again. First I had to read all the captions that people are sending in on Dorwest website to go with my Hallowe'en photo - my some of them are funny, they made me laugh, but then some of them seem to think that I'm a bit of a scardy cat - and I'm here to tell you I'm not that, well not anymore. I've learnt that there's nothing to be scared of really although I'm a lot braver when I've had my daily dose of Scullcap & Valerian Tablets of course. This coming week is when they'll be starting to give them to me everyday as they know that I need them for about two weeks before bonfire night to make me super relaxed.

I also went to visit the vet, a nice lady called Alex at Girling & Bowditch. Don't worry there's nothing really wrong with me, just needed my annual booster - better to be safe than sorry and to be honest it didn't hurt at all.

Then this evening I went for lovely long walk across the fields with my friend Louis. He just loves coming out with me and we have such fun. We stayed out for ages and ages and there was a lovely sunset. So all in all it was a good weekend and has set me up for another busy week ahead.

Don't forget that if you leave some comments on my blog here and they take my fancy I might, just might, send you a little Dr Monkey present as a way of saying thank you. See you soon..........

Thursday, 13 October 2011

Another three of my Firework Survival Kits to be won - just go to the Dorwest FB page and get your entry in.....do it now, they are fantastic! I particularly like the snuggly blanket and the Lily's Kitchen Bedtime biscuits - yummy, yummy........
My tip for this week is to get your humans to start finding out what firework parties are going to be happening in your area. If they know when they are taking place then they can be prepared and make sure you are safe.
Last year they took me to the pet shop to buy me a special toy to keep me happy during the nights that the fireworks go off, but of course now I've got a whole big pack of toys here as they are the ones that go into my Survival Kits. There are all different sorts so I'll just have to have one of each - although they might have something to say about that !

Don't forget to enter the competition - I don't know how many more of these kits we've got to give away, but there are three up for grabs, so get going!

Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Follow this link to download the Firework Information Leaflet http://www.dorwest.com/files/Dorwest-Fireworks-2011-Email.pdf The new Coundown Calendar in this year's leaflet is just what you need to make sure that your humans know exactly what they ought to be doing and when to make it a relaxing period for you - from creating a safe den to providing a comforting toy and not forgetting making sure that they've ordered the Scullcap & Valerian Tablets and the Valerian Compound and are giving it to you in advance of the festivities. There are special Firework Packs of both these products on the Dorwest website which will save them money - all humans like that so make sure you tell them all about it.

Monday, 10 October 2011

Three more of my super Firework Survival Kits have been won over the weekend on the Dorwest Facebook Page - remember to keep checking it out as there are more to be won in competitions in the next few weeks.

I've been a very poor blogger this last week, but I do have an excuse because I was away at the weekend and couldn't get my paws on a computer. I had toddler minding duties you see and so was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home. It seems that these little human creatures especially like me and so when I'm around they are well behaved - well I'm not surprised I have that effect on everyone you know!

It's just under four weeks until November 5th so my tip for today is to make sure that by now your humans have got hold of the Scullcap & Valerian Tablets and/or the Valerian Compound. You really must tell them that they shouldn't wait until the last minute as these products go quickly at this time of year even though I know that our production unit has been working like mad to make sure that there's enough for everyone. I've been watching what's going on here, and everyone is very, very busy with lots of rushing around, packing parcels, phones ringing everywhere, big courier vans coming and going and all sorts............
If, like me, you are really, really, really terrified of fireworks and loud bangs (they call it a severe phobia you know) then it's a good idea to get your humans to start giving you the Scullcap & Valerian Tablets from now onwards - can't begin too soon in my opinion and I'd much rather make sure that I'll be suitably relaxed and I don't mind taking them at all as they're sugar coated and taste pretty good to me! Don't forget that you can download the Dorwest Say Relax leaflets straight from the Dorwest website and that will tell you everything you need to know, including a handy "countdown calendar" telling your humans what they should do and when they should be doing it.
Another great tip that I'm really excited about - my friend Marc the Vet (you remember the funky one!) has just brought out his own app for the human's iPhones and iPads. It has all sorts of interesting things both for us dogs and for our humans as well. There are videos showing how human owners can look after their dog's health and a lot of fun stuff as well - and I hear some doggy recipes too. It's called Marc the Vet's Canine Care - so get hold of it quick, I think it's great !!

Sunday, 2 October 2011

Well, I was right - they must have been UFOs as they've all gone as quickly as they arrived! When I went for my walk this evening the fields were empty of the black shiny things - I looked everywhere and there was no sign of them. Still it was a lovely evening and sunset so all is well with the world again.

I had a bit of a sore foot today and it was irritating so I licked it, and licked it again as us dogs do to try and make things better. Fortunatley my human noticed me licking a lot and she had a good look and said I'd got a grass seed or something similar stuck in between my toes, so she bathed my foot in warm water (very comforting) and then sprayed some Garlic Juice on it to stop it getting nasty. Pleased to say that now I'm fine again.

Saturday, 1 October 2011

Just been out for my morning walk in the sunshine and overnight the fields have become full of big black shiny things!What are they I wonder? Something all wrapped up I think, but what? I had a sniff or two and they didn't smell that interesting - so I cocked on every one I could find just to tell them I'd noticed!
I climbed on top of one to get a better view and they are everywhere - I wonder if they are UFOs?

Last night was very warm but the noises outside were very comforting; I could hear the sea with it's rhythmic tooing and froing which made me feel sleepy, but I could also hear a tractor in the fields - I wonder if that's anything to do with all the black things? Hmmm must investigate more.
I heard the humans say there may be thunderstorms after all this hot weather, so it's Scullcap & Valerian Tablets for me for the next few days - better to be safe than sorry. I don't mind the thunder too much, but if we get those sdevlish flashes and crashes then I won't be too happy unless I've had my tablets. Hope they are wrong - humans sometimes are you know, despite them thinking they know more than us. I reckon I'll be able to tell before them if there is a storm coming - who is the superior being - Monkey of course!